A New Industry

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 72, 27 November 1884, Page 2

A New Industry

«. ._ We learn from the British Mail of October that a new industry has just ' been started at East Kent — that of growing crops of lavender and peppermint for the purpose of extracting the oil and supplying it wholesale. A large breadth of land at Grove, near Canterbury, w»> planted with lavender and peppermint by way of experiment, and the result proved in every way satisfactory. It has there fore been determined to establish extensive works on the spot in order to carry on the process of extracting the oil, which is done by distillation, from the fre.sli flowering plants. Oil of pepperment i> worth from 45s to 50a per lb wholesale for best quality. As the climate and soil of the Manchester. Block have proved admirably adapted for the production of these plants in all their varieties, and which grow in the wildest profusion wherever a plant or cutting has been put in the ground, whether by accident or design, we venture to believe that tinexample given by the men of Kent, or the Kentish men, could be followed by us with advantage and profit. The oil of . lavender is largely employed in the manufacture of perfumery, and also in medicine ns a stimulant, stomachicand carminativeThe oil of peppermint also pussesse> stiniulnnt and carminative properties The market demand is practically un limited, while the price is extravagantly high, so that every inducement is hold out for the progressive individuals who have the courage to make a beginning in the formation of a company, the object, of which would be to acquire land on which to erect a distillery and grow the material necessary to keep the works employed. We believe that lavender and peppermint plants are singularly free from attacks by " pests " of any kind or description, so that the revenue would nlwars be eertnin nnd free from sudden fluctuations by failure of (he crops. They are also very hardy, and unlikely to he injured by frosts or sudden changes in the temperature. A* we have in the Feilding Horticultural Society men possessing a thorough practical knifwled-re on this nnd similar questions, we hopthey will give this matter their serious consideration nnd arrive at the c >nclnsi> n that some preliminary steps be taken for acquiring further information towards promoting wh-tt we believe would be » ' most profitable industry.